The Return
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Just a bunch of shorts about Chief's life after being away on a mission for a year. Takes place after Halo 4.
1. Chapter 1

The Return

Chapter 1

She cried the first time she saw him. She had been a baby when he left, only a month old, and that was a little over a year ago. Needless to say this was the last thing Master Chief expected to happen on his reunion with his daughter.

He just frowned while the girl's mother bounced her slightly, pressing a kiss against the baby's head. "What…what's wrong?"

"She's scared of you, Chief," Cortana told him, still bouncing the child. She too had changed since Chief had last seen her. She had been less than thrilled to be left with a newborn, but they both knew they had no choice. She, of all people, knew what duty and honor meant.

"I don't… Why?"

She shifted the baby in her arms. "Perhaps it's your armor."

He just stared at his daughter for a moment before moving to take his helmet off, per the suggestion of his wife. The baby wouldn't even look at him now, instead turning to bury her head in her mother's shoulder.

"This went worse than expected," Cortana joked slightly as Chief finally gave up and walked around her. They were standing in the living room of their apartment, him finally home on leave only for this to be the reaction he got. "Maybe you should go change. Are you hungry? I'm making dinner. I didn't expect you until later."

He just glanced back at her as she followed him out of the room. "I just want to shower."

"Of course." She had finally accomplished getting the baby to calm down and hung back from him, not wanting him to upset her further. "John."

He let out a grunt as he headed into their bedroom. It was the same as always, only now the crib that had been in there his last month of being home was now gone, moved to the spare room probably. He felt a pang for a second of regret. What had he missed already out of his daughter's life? And what more would he miss in the future?

* * *

"It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back." He glanced around the kitchen before back down at his plate of food. "Very good."

"It must be good too to have my cooking, huh?"

"You only get more cocky the more time passes."

Cortana laughed slightly, looking up at him. "I've had a lot of time to practice cooking, while you've been gone."

"It's a lot quieter," Chief offered up to her. "Without you on missions."

"Don't you fall in love with your new AI," she warned. "If you thought I could wreck havoc as an AI, you should see what I can do now."

"You've been human for five years now, Cortana." Master Chief glanced behind him as he heard crying from the other room. "I think I've seen you at your worst."

"You'd think," she said, moving to get up. He held up a hand though, standing.

"I've got her," he said, feeling awkward in his own home as he stood there in a t-shirt and jeans. He always felt that way though. Outside of his MJOLNIR armor, he felt like a completely different person. "Be right back."

"Alright," Cortana said, taking her seat at the table once more though she hesitated. While John had been in the shower, she put the baby down for the night, not wanting to overwhelm either of them. Still, if he wanted to do it, she couldn't stop him. "If you're sure."

Master Chief nodded at her before heading out of the room. It was weird for him at times, being around his former AI partner. It took him years to find her again after everything happened with Didact and even longer to really get her back, as she was too far gone for Dr. Halsey to do much. As a last ditch effort, she attempted to change her into a human. The first thing Master Chief thought of when he heard the plan was Frankenstein, but it had turned out much better than that. Much better.

The Spartan was out of his element when he walked into what used to just be an extra bedroom in the apartment. Now it was the nursery that housed his daughter, who at the moment was full blown crying. She was sitting up in her crib, her hands grasping the bars of the crib as she stared out. When she spotted the mountain of a man walking into her room, she just began to wail louder.

Shaking his head, John headed over to the crib, quickly lifting the baby out. He was afraid of picking her up, honestly, for fear that he would injure her. He had never really been around a baby. He didn't want to hold her too tightly or something. At the moment though, he knew no other way to help her than to pick her up.

"You don't stink," he murmured to his child, more to himself really. That was one of his biggest concerns, really, changing a diaper. He had changed one, that month before he headed out and left the newborn and it had not gone well. "Are you hungry?"

The baby continued to whine, not liking the way he was holding her now. He had her at arms length, his hands under her armpits, just staring at her. What else could be wrong with her? And how was he supposed to figure it out anyways?

"Here." Master Chief shifted her in his arms, moving now to hold her closer to him as he had seen Cortana do. "Do you want to be held? Is that what you want?"

The baby continued to whine, though it was softer now. She was much more curious than anything. Where was her mother? Why was she just letting this man touch all over her? She didn't like this.

"There, there," he said, uneasy as he attempted to bounce the baby. He was jostling her more than anything and, after it proved to be futile, he gave up on it. "You're alright now. Miranda."

The baby looked up at her name, staring at the man's face. She knew her name, after all. Her mother said it all the time.

John didn't look down at his daughter however, instead focusing on the stuffed animals that were strewn around the room. There were blocks too and a little train set. A pile of books was in one corner and he decided when he saw it that he would have to build her a bookcase soon.

He let out a long sigh of relief as the baby finally ceased her cries, instead now making soft cooing noises as she stared up at him curiously. When he looked down at her, she giggled, reaching up to pat his face. Chief shifted her to one arm, using the other to run his hand through her brown hair.

"You need a haircut," he whispered to his baby as she continued to touch his face, giggling now. Chief wasn't sure what has sparked the change in her attitude towards him, but he was glad for it. "Miranda."

Miranda. Cortana has chosen that name, thinking it was the best way to honor the fallen Commander Miranda Keyes and Chief made no objections. Names didn't mean much to him anyways. Nor did the past. He mostly focused on the future now, as he had learned in his training. With the future so bright now, why would he want to dwell in the past anyways?

"I thought you'd put her back to bed," Cortana said as Chief walked into the kitchen, their daughter in his arms.

"I think she's hungry," he said simply as he went to sit back down at the table, his food now cold before him. "Here."

The baby opened her mouth as he held up a piece of his roll to her. She liked eating.

"Don't feed her too much, John," his wife told him, frowning slightly. "I don't want her to get sick. And no meat. I don't want her to choke."

Miranda was in his lap now, leaning back against her father. When she turned up to look at him, she found him staring right back down at her. Smiling at this, the baby clapped her hands.

"She's rather loud," Master Chief commented, still watching his daughter. "Even when she's not crying."

"At least we know she doesn't take after you."

He glanced back up at the former AI then, staring at her for a moment. "I…missed you, Cortana."

"Yes, I know."

"You know, you're supposed to say that back to me, I believe."

"I'm sure."

"Mama!" The baby seemed to suddenly realize it was her mother seated across from them and reached out for her. "Mama."

"She can talk?"

"I hardly count a word as talking," the child's mother retorted.

"Can she say anything else?"

"When she's hungry, she'll try to say bottle. We don't use bottles anymore though, do we, Miranda?"

At the sound of her name, the baby tired to push out of her father's lap. This guy was fun and everything, but if her mother wanted her now, the baby had no problem with going to her.

"Hey now," Chief complained, holding her tightly to him. When he saw Cortana raise her eyebrow, he said simply, "I don't want her to fall over."

"She's taken to you quite quickly for her to have been so upset to see you before," the woman observed, standing now to put her plate in the sink. "Do you want more of anything?"

"No," he told her, feeding the baby another piece of bread to distract her. "I'm fine."

Even after he finished eating, Chief sat there, holding his baby in his lap, finally able to relax. It felt odd to him, being home again. A year had passed. A year. He had waited for this moment, being able to be back home with his family. Family. He finally had a real family.

"Nam nam," the baby continued to babble, watching her mother go around the kitchen and clean up. "Mama."

"She's a lot bigger than I thought she would be," Chief told Cortana then randomly. "I knew she was a year old now though, but I wasn't expecting this. She was so…tiny when I left."

"It's been a long year, John," Cortana told him, still over by the sink, washing dishes. "Maybe this time…they really won't need you again. You are retired, after all."

There was no such thing as retired for a Spartan. It was a moot point at the moment though, so he just nodded his head slightly.

"Maybe."

"Regardless, it's nice to have you home." She came over to him then, though it was just to reached down and take their child from him. Chief let her go, but it was with a slight reluctance. "She is up way too late. It's time to put her to bed. For real this time."

"I'll help you," he responded gamely.

"There's really no need-"

"I should learn how to do it," he said, readily standing to follow her. Laying a hand on her shoulder, he gave her a slight smile. "She is my daughter."

"She is," Cortana agreed, smiling back at him warmly. "It will be nice to have some help."

"Don't get crazy now," he joked tentatively as the woman turned, walking off now. Chief stared at her retreating backside for a moment, taking a second to relish in the fact she was his. Though, she had always been his, even as an Artificial Intelligence chip.

"Are you coming?" She glanced back at him, the baby now whining again. "Chief?"

"Of course," he said, quickly moving to follow her. "I was just…"

"I think she wants you," Cortana told him, the baby now staring at him over her mother's shoulder. His grunt in response annoyed his wife, but the baby just giggled, fine again. "See?"

With her back to him, Cortana didn't see Chief make a slight face, trying to entertain his child. It worked as she reached back for him, opening and closing her hand, whining.

"This was the quickest bonding I've ever seen you do with a person."

Chief followed her into the nursery. "Bonding?"

"What would you call it, Daddy?"

"…I do not want to be called that."

"Daddy? She has to call you something, John." Cortana turned to face him then as he closed the bedroom door. "Or are you going to force your daughter to call you Master Chief?"

He ignored her, taking the baby when it reached out for him.

"It would make sense, what with your over inflated sense of self."

That got her a stare.

"I'm kidding, John." She was still all smiles, watching as their daughter twisted in his arms, wanting him to pay attention to her. "Now come lay her down in the crib. It's time for her to go to bed."

"Do I just set her in there?"

"Yes."

"And she won't need us? During the night?"

"If she does, we'll hear her."

He frowned slightly. "Shouldn't you change her diaper one last time? Before bed?"

She gave him a look. "Did you want to do this alone, John?"

Taking a deep breath, he went to lay the baby down in her crib. "She just feels so far away from us in here."

"As oppose to how far away she's been this whole year without you?"

He stared down at his daughter, who just sat up in her bed, watching him back. "What else do I need to do? Will she fall asleep on her own?"

"You make things overly complicated." Cortana came to stand next to him at the crib, her arm brushing against his. Glancing up at him, she just smiled, not missing the awkwardness there was between the two of them. It had been a year, after all. "You always have."

"Mama," Miranda complained, still staring up at them. She reached out to be picked up, but Cortana shook her head slightly.

"It's time to go night-night, baby," she said softly, still leaning into her husband. "Aren't you sleepy?"

"No."

"She can say no too, huh?" Chief shook his head. "She can talk, practically."

"Mmmm."

"No!" The baby reached out for him, but Chief just stared down at her. "Mama."

"Shhh." Cortana leaned down, gently pushing her baby down to lay on her back. "You're okay. You're good. We're gonna go to bed now, huh?"

The baby whined, but Cortana just took Chief's hand before leading him from the room. He glanced back at the baby, but she did seem fine. And Cortana was right; if she needed them, they'd be right there. He'd be right there.

"Let's go lay down," Cortana said to him as she led him to the bedroom. "Be alone."

He let himself be pulled over to the bed, quickly taking a seat when she let him go. She quickly took the seat next to him, full on grinning now.

"I missed this," she told him as he laid an arm over her shoulders. "Just being with you." When he didn't say anything, she reached up to tap his skull. "I miss being in there even more. Staying here while someone else helps you out."

"Not nearly as well as you," he assured her.

"Of course not."

Master Chief turned slightly then so that he could press a kiss against her lips. When he pulled away, Cortana moved to rest her head in his chest.

"Did you think about us while you were gone?"

He nodded. "I had something to come home for, after all."

"She likes you already," Cortana told him. "So quickly."

"I am her father."

"Daddy."

He just grunted, moving to kiss her again. "You talk too much."

Spartans, of course, had a reduced sex drive. Everyone knew that. It was one of the reasons that John always thought he and Cortana were pretty good together, back when she was still an AI. The one thing he never thought about was the one thing Cortana could never give him. Things got sticky though, when she became human. It wasn't like he couldn't have sex though, because he could and he did. Just not very often.

"Mmmm, what are you doing?"

He had shifted on the bed now, pushing Cortana under him. Their kiss that seemed never-ending had ended rather abruptly.

"You don't hear her?" He pushed away from his wife. "The baby's crying."

"She's just whining, John. She'll go to bed soon."

He kissed Cortana again, but it was really just a peck. "I should go check. She might-"

"Let me."

"Cortana-"

"Last time you went to check, you brought her back." Slipping out from under him, she let her hand linger on his body for a moment before getting up. "She really does need her sleep."

"I just don't want her to-"

"I know and she won't. Alright?" With that his wife left the room, leaving him to just sit there and wait.

* * *

Master Chief woke with a start. For a moment, he couldn't figure out where he was. Then it dawned on him that's because he wasn't in battle anymore. He was home. With his wife. With Cortana.

Glancing to his side, he found her sleeping there, curled away from him. He reached one hand out, stroking her back. It wasn't her that had woken him though. Technically, it was nothing, but he was pretty sure deep down it was his daughter.

Straining his ears to hear, he heard nothing. She wasn't crying. Still, he felt the need to check on her consume him and couldn't help himself as he pushed out of the bed to go make sure she was alright. Anything could get her here, alone. She was just a baby.

Slipping on only his jeans, Chief quickly exited his bedroom and headed to his daughter's. He found it dark, save the nightlight in the corner. Stalking over to her crib, he stared down at her, finding the baby just as he had left her only now she was asleep. He let out a long breath, watching her as she slept. She was okay. She was safe. But for how long?

"John?"

He didn't jump as Cortana suddenly appeared in the doorway. He had sensed her approach, after all. He just stayed facing the crib the whole time, watching his baby. She was all cuddled up in her blanket and he was slightly worried she'd overheat. Wouldn't that be something? It wasn't that cold outside. He didn't think she really needed a-

"Is something wrong?"

Shaking his head no, he still wouldn't look at her. In a hushed tone, he said, "Just checking."

"Well, don't wake her up."

"I don't plan to."

"She's fine, you know," the woman said, walking closer. "What exactly are you checking on?"

Shrugging, he said, "I don't know."

"Come back to bed."

He shook his head slightly. "I'm not tired."

"You slept for what? Two hours?"

"It's all I need."

"So what? You're going to stand there and watch over her all night?"

"If I have to."

"Chief, how do you think she's slept for a year without you? How she's done anything?"

He gave a slight shake of the head. "If I can't sleep anyways, what difference does it make?"

She came closer still until she was at his side, staring down at their daughter as well. "Did you think about her a lot?"

"I tried not to, thinking if I put her out of my mind I would work better, but I couldn't." He glanced at her. "You know that I did not plan to be gone for so long."

"When duty calls, it calls."

"Still."

"It's not like I was alone, John."

"You were without me."

"You were without me too."

He gave a curt nod. "It's not the same out there anymore, when you're here."

"Would you rather I was still in your head then?"

He smirked slightly, looking away from their daughter finally to glance at her. "And give up this?"

She smiled back at him. "When you put it that way, it's not a hard choice, is it?"

"Not at all." He turned his vision back to his daughter. "Can…can she sleep in bed with us?"

"Chief," Cortana sighed. "I don't feel comfortable with that."

"Why not?"

"Babies can suffocate that way."

"I hardly move in my sleep. Neither do you."

"But what if you did? And squashed her or something?"

"I wouldn't do that."

"It's better for her to sleep in here, in her crib."

He grunted, shaking his head.

"I know that you want to watch over her, Chief, and you can. Just not all the time."

"I can stand here," he told her. "Watch for awhile. It won't hurt anything."

She leaned up then, pressing a kiss to his cheek. As she let her hand fall down his bare chest, she took in the scarred flesh with a slight frown. "Do what you need to, John. I'll be in bed."

He stroked the back of her head for a moment before turning his attention back to their daughter.

"Goodnight," she whispered before leaving him alone.

Clasping his hands behind his back, John stared intently down at the little girl, who was breathing softly. That was another thing. What if she suddenly stopped breathing? Huh? How would they hear that all the way from their bedroom? They wouldn't. Cortana just didn't get it. She was all complicit with how she had done things. But change was inevitable. Master Chief was back and he didn't plan to let such things go unchecked.

His concerns were answered around midnight when the baby woke up with a slight cry, kicking her feet. See? Overheating. Clearly.

"Oh," he said simply as he smelt it. Not overheating. Poop. He glanced behind him hoping that his wife was still hanging around. Alas, it was just him. This was his job. As Cortana said earlier, when duty calls…

After that was done, Chief decided that since the baby was up anyways, Cortana couldn't be mad if he took her out of the room. She could sleep later. She was just a baby. She'd have all day to sleep.

"Ah," he sighed as he sat down on the couch in the living room, his baby in his lap. She made a loud noise, reaching up at pat his chest. "Shhh. Be quiet, huh?"

She rubbed her head into his chest, giggling. "Aba."

Letting out a long breath, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He had been so nervous on the way home. Not that he'd ever admit it or anything, but he had been. It was odd, that he could go off into battle with courage, but the thought of meeting his daughter and having to take care of her scared the crap out of him. It did though.

The baby let out a yawn, snuggling back against him. John opened his eyes, glancing down at her before giving her his hand. He saw guys do that sometimes, give a baby their fingers to hold. It entertained them for some reason or so he assumed.

"You like that?" He smiled slightly as she sniffed one of his fingers. "Huh?"

The baby licked his finger then, giggling. Chief made a face, shaking his head slightly. Looking up at him, she smiled before kissing his finger now.

"You're giving me kisses, huh?" John bounced his leg slightly. "Miranda." When she looked up again, he smiled. 'You know your name, don't you? Miranda."

They must have sat there for an hour or two, the baby falling asleep at some point in his lap. Chief just sat there though, holding her. So this is what it was like. Huh.

"John, if you do not get her back in the crib now, I will hurt you."

"Shhh," he shushed Cortana as she came back into the room. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? "She's sleeping."

"Like she was in her crib?"

"She's safer this way."

"What exactly do you think is threatening her in there?"

He had no answer for that, as he had yet to find a threat to his daughter. And if he did find one, he would eliminate it. Quickly and efficiently.

"Well, I'm going to take her now, huh?" Cortana gently lifted his daughter from his lap, being careful not to wake her. "Daddy."

"You're going to harp on that, aren't you?"

"For the rest of our lives."

* * *

**Yes, I recognize the unlikelihood of Cortana ever becoming human much less having a child with Chief, but hey, it fits with the idea. **


	2. Chapter 2

The Return

Chapter 2

The sounds of the baby babbling hardly registered in the Chief's brain. She was on the bed, closer to the end, down by his feet, while he just relaxed on there next to her. Cortana had gone out early that morning, claiming she had work or something. Chief had been apprehensive about being with the baby alone, but so far, she was leaving him alone, choosing to just play with herself.

"You okay down there?" Chief glanced down at her before lulling his head back to the side. It slightly worried him, how she was ignoring him now. Would this be the way it always was? Would he be absent from most of her life and their rare encounters be awkward? "Miranda."

Cortana wouldn't be back for a few more hours and Chief knew soon he would have to actually interact with the girl. He'd have to make her lunch he was pretty sure. Cortana hadn't mentioned it, but he knew babies ate according to a schedule. No doubt soon she'd be hungry.

"Ah." The baby pushed up at the sound of her name before walking up towards his head. Chief frowned, seeing this. She could walk? "Hi."

He blinked as the baby sat down next to his head. Pulling himself up into a sitting position, he stared down at her.

"Hi."

The baby giggled at his response, reaching up for him. Master Chief just continued to watch her, curious.

"You can talk, you can walk. What else can you do?" Reaching down, he poked her in the stomach gently. "Miranda."

"Ah!" She grabbed his hand this time, giggling loudly. "Mama."

"She's out," Chief told her, glancing down the bed at the little girl's toys. "You can go back to playing if you want."

The baby didn't follow such commands though and continued to hold his hand. "Wawa."

Sighing, Chief settled back into the bed, laying down once more. Miranda just moved closer to him, patting his chest. He had spoken more than he planned to the baby. She was just that, after all; a baby. She didn't know what he was saying, so why waste his time talking to her?

Bored with him now, Miranda moved back down the bed to her toys, finding them much more entertaining. Chief almost called her back up to him, slightly offended that she thought those stupid, inanimate objects were more fun than him. Because they weren't. He and Cortana spent countless hours with each other and had yet to tire of one another. What was wrong with their daughter then to think that he wasn't entertaining? …Not that Master Chief cared. Because he didn't. At all.

"Hey." He pushed her gently with her foot, making the baby look back at him. "What are you doing down there anyways?"

Picking one of her stuffed animals up, she sat it on his leg, giggling softly. Chief just watched though, waiting for her to do something else. Still, she grew bored of him again and went back to playing alone.

"How do you play with these things?" Chief sat up again, this time moving down towards the end of the bed. The stuffed animal she had sat on him he just gave back to her, setting it in the baby's lap. "Miranda?"

"Nana." She put the stuffed dog down on the bed before moving to climb into his lap. "Hi."

"That wasn't what I wanted you to do," he told her as she leaned back against him. "I'm your father, sure, but I'm practically a stranger. You shouldn't take to others so well, not people you don't know."

"No."

"Can you say yes?" He looked down at her. "Seems like you can say everything else."

"No."

"Yes." He watched her dark eyes. "Yes. Yes."

"Yes." She reached up, trying to poke him in the eye, but he just moved to sit up straight again. "Yes."

"Okay, I get it. You can say it."

"Yes."

He stood then, taking the child with him. She whined at first, not wanting to leave her toys behind, but soon forgot about them as they headed into the kitchen. She knew what that meant.

"Cortana did not tell me what to feed you," Chief said as he sat the girl on the ground. "Or even if I should. Are you…do you want to eat?"

The baby nodded, opening her mouth and putting her fingers in. Chief watched her for a second before going over to the fridge.

"What can you eat then? Huh?" He frowned, shaking his head. "I don't even make my own food. How can Cortana expect me to make you food?"

"Uh-oh."

He frowned, turning to glance down at his daughter. She was toddling out of the room now, heading into the living room.

"Uh-oh what?" He frowned, closing the fridge. "Come back here. Now, Miranda."

When that didn't work, he set out after the girl, finding her sitting on the living room floor where some of her toys had been left.

"How many toys does a kid need?" Chief muttered, moving to pick her up. The baby whined at this, but he just shook his head. "You need to learn to listen better."

Still, he reminded himself, she was just a baby. She didn't know better yet. So instead of dwelling on her lack of comprehension, he headed back into the kitchen.

"You sure liked bread last night," John told her, going to get a piece. "You want some bread?"

It was probably the lightest lunch the baby had ever eaten. John just gave her a piece of bread before deciding his job was done and taking her back to the bedroom. He deposited her on the bed before standing in front of her.

"You should probably nap now that you've eaten and everything," he told the baby, who was licking her piece of bread. When he saw that, he frowned. "You eat it, Miranda."

"Ah," she responded halfheartedly, not looking up at him as she continued to lick the bread. "Yes."

"Here." He reached out to take the bread, planning on ripping it into pieces for her. His daughter though just began to cry.

"Stop that," Chief complained as she spit at him, whining loudly. "I'm helping you."

She thought that he had taken her food though and was less than thrilled about it. "No! Mama! No!"

"Here." Chief gave her a piece of the bread, holding it out like a peace offering. "Take it then."

She snatched it from him, still whining. "Mama."

"She's not here. I am." Chief held out more of the bread. "Here. Eat."

He fed her that way, the baby crying the whole time. She was eating though, so he mostly ignored her wails, figuring they'd stop soon enough. Still, she continued to cry even after she finished her lunch. Once that was over, he laid back down on the bed with her.

"Well, sleep then," he told her, the baby still just sitting there, whining. "Miranda."

"No!"

"You're bad when you want to be," he told her, shaking his head. "Stubborn."

"Mama."

"It's alright." John reached out slowly and patted her head. This was the closest he could come to comforting his daughter at the moment. "You don't have to be afraid."

Why shouldn't she be? Here this guy was, again, bossing her around. And now her mother wasn't even home! She wanted to be far away from him, that mean, bread stealing jerk.

"Your mother said you have to sleep in your crib, but I think we'll do just fine, the two of us, right here." John spared a rare smile at his daughter, hoping to put her at ease. "Miranda. I'm your father, after all. A father wouldn't hurt his child."

"No."

"No," he repeated back to her, trying to make the child happy again. She just tried to move away from him. "Miranda."

"No." She sniffled, staring at her father. "No."

"You're so small," Chief mumbled as he finally forced the baby to lay down next to him. Then, on an impulse, he poked her stomach gently, trying to get her to laugh. The baby just whined some more, not liking that.

"I don't know what to do for you," he told his daughter, who squirmed as he held her closer still. And he didn't, know what to do that was. She was whining over nothing. All he had done so far was be good to her. "Miranda."

Giving out, she laid out against him, yawning slightly. The guy was right; after lunch was naptime.

Master Chief laid there for awhile, watching the child sleep next to him. It was something to get used to, his new assignment. It was in no way the toughest thing he had ever done, not even close, but it seemed to be the most mind numbing. Taking care of a child so far was merely tedious. He got no joy from it, not so far. Not like he did when he finished a mission or battle. Maybe it was because his job wasn't done yet.

* * *

Chief woke up alone. This wouldn't have been shocking, had he not fallen asleep that way. He laid there for about half a second, not thinking for a moment about the girl that was missing. When he did, he shot out of the bed and headed out of the room.

"Here he is. Finally up, John?"

His face was impassive as he came into the living room, his eyes only on his daughter. She was seated on the floor, pushing that train he had seen in the nursery around. She didn't even look up at him, too intent on her play. Not that he cared. He just needed to know she was safe. That's all he ever needed to know.

"I thought…Why did you take her?"

Cortana just smiled at him, not moving from the couch. "We do have a guest."

He nodded at their…guest. "I can see."

"Hello, John," Catherine Halsey said as he went to stand next to his daughter, looking down at her. "I hear your year went well."

"As well as could be expected."

John thought that his daughter was oblivious to him until she suddenly ran her train into his foot, rather hard. "Miranda."

Giggling, she did it again. And again. She seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Cortana tells me that you've taken to Miranda well," Halsey said then.

Nodding slightly, John glanced over at her. "She's very…loud."

As if understanding this, the baby suddenly made a loud noise as she, once again, ran the train into her father's foot. Having enough of that, John moved away from her slightly, frowning.

"No," the baby said, pushing herself up before toddling over to him. She almost lost her footing and fell over, but she managed to steady herself against his knees. "No."

"She seems to like you as well," Catherine told him, smiling slightly at the sight. John found nothing good in it though and just continued to watch his daughter.

"She wants you to pick her up, Chief," Cortana told him as the baby found her balance only to begin holding her hands above her head. "She's saying up."

The baby was saying something, but it sounded more like just a grunt than an actual word. Still, if his wife said so…

"Not like that," Cortana scolded as he held her out at arms length, as he had done the previous night. "Chief."

He had no problem with holding his daughter properly. It was just…there was some snot running down her nose and he really didn't want that on him. He was just wearing a t-shirt and jeans, after all, no armor. She would get him…snotty.

She did too. The second he moved to hold her against him, the baby rubbed her nose against his shirt, effectively marking him. Yuck.

Cortana smiled at this, while Dr. Halsey laughed slightly. John didn't find it amusing at all, but chose not to get angry with his daughter for it. She would learn, in time, that bodily fluids are meant for one place; your body. Not on your father.

It seemed to the Master Chief that the women were discussing something of importance and, as not to be a bother to them, he headed off into the kitchen. The child probably needed juice. He was pretty sure kids drank a lot.

"No," the baby told him as he went around the kitchen trying to find her a sippy cup. Could he give her a regular cup? He feared disaster would be the only thing to come from that. "No."

"You just don't shut up, do you?" Chief shifted the baby in his arms as he finally located where Cortana kept her sippy cups. There were some old bottles in there as well, but he was pretty sure Cortana had said last night the baby didn't use those anymore. "Huh?"

"No."

"That's what I thought."

Using the apple juice he found in the fridge, John quickly got the girl her drink. When he handed it to her, she didn't hesitate to begin drinking from the sippy cup, almost seeming ravenous with it.

"Oh," he said, watching her. He hadn't given her anything to drink the whole day. It hadn't even occurred to him, as he was rare to need a drink himself. He kind of felt…bad. She had needed something yet he hadn't gotten it. He wouldn't let it happen again.

When she finished with her juice, the girl just hit him in the head with the cup and attempted to say the word more. Chief frowned at her, but complied. He deserved the hit, he was sure, for not getting her a drink sooner.

It wasn't until after Dr. Halsey left that Cortana came into the kitchen. At that point, Chief was already seated at the kitchen table, the little girl in his lap. At the sight of her mother, Miranda promptly hit him again, this time in the chest.

"No," Cortana told her, frowning. "Chief, don't let her hurt you."

He snorted. "That would not only be impossible, but improbable."

"I meant don't let her hit you."

"She's fine," he said as the baby hit him with her hand now, giggling. "She's…playing."

"Well, we don't play rough," the woman told him, coming over to take their daughter from him. "She-"

"No." Chief held fast to the little girl though. "She's fine, Cortana."

They had a moment where the two of them just stared at each other, but she was the first to break, instead going over to the stove.

"Well," she began slowly. "What did you guys eat for lunch?"

"She ate bread."

"With?"

"…What?"

"How much bread did you feed her, John?"

"I gave her a piece of bread." How much clearer could he be?

"You gave our daughter a piece of bread for lunch."

"Yes."

"And thought it would be sufficient?"

"Yes." Or, well, he did before Cortana came in here critiquing him. "I'm no cook. I didn't plan on making her food."

Cortana groaned at that which only succeeded in making their daughter giggle. Shaking her head, the woman went over to the cupboard, pulling from it a box of some kind of animal crackers. She went over to the table and dumped a few onto it in front of the pair.

"That'll hold her over until dinner," Cortana told him simply as the baby reached out to grab a few. "See? She's hungry."

The Master Chief watched his daughter as she ate, almost smiling when she held an animal cracker up to him, wanting him to eat too. After a quick check, Chief found that Cortana was doing something over at the stove and wasn't paying them any mind. Leaning down slightly, he allowed to the baby to feed him which of course made the little girl giggle. She fed him a few more before just patting his cheek and going back to feeding herself.

"Dow'."

Chief frowned at his daughter. "Hmmm?"

"Dow'!" With that, she promptly jumped from his lap, landing with little grace onto the ground.

"Hey." Chief frowned at her. "You don't just do that. You could have gotten hurt, Miranda."

"She's fine, Chief," Cortana sighed as the girl rushed over to her, wrapping her arms around her mother's legs. "Dinner will be soon."

Nodding, he stood before heading out of the kitchen. If Cortana had the girl now, that was fine. Really. He could handle being away from her.

Still, he sat in the living room, straining to hear even the slightest whimper from his daughter. So far all he had heard was the girl's mother moving around the kitchen, fixing the meal, but that didn't mean much. Something could happen at any time. He had to be prepared.

When it was finally time to eat, Chief quickly came back into the kitchen only to lift the girl into his arms without prompting. Then, going over to the table, he took his seat, making sure to keep her in his lap.

"She has a high chair, Chief," Cortana told him as she sat a plate in front of him. "Just in case you weren't aware."

"She would rather sit here."

"Uh-huh."

"She would." As if to reiterate this, his daughter leaned back against him, yawning loudly. "She's comfortable this way."

"Is she?"

"Yes."

"Sure it's not you that's so comfortable?"

He leveled her with a strong gaze. "I'm not uncomfortable if that's what you mean."

Neither had a chance to say anything more as their daughter suddenly moved to grab something off her father's plate. "Yes!"

Chief sighed, shifting her slightly so she was out of reach of the table. "Stop that."

"Yes!" She reached out again, dismayed to find she couldn't get at his food. "Mama."

"You wanna sit in your highchair? Huh?" Cortana smiled at her. "Then you can eat."

"She can eat here." Chief held his daughter tightly to him. "We can share."

"Fine, John, I give in. You win."

"Always."

"Wipe that smirk off your face."

"Smirk? I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm sure."

After dinner, Cortana cleaned up the kitchen while Chief cleaned up his daughter. She had gotten slightly messy from the meal and he was wiping her face down. When he moved to clean her hands though, his wife stopped him.

"She's gotta bathe after this," she told him. "Go take her in to the bathroom and run her water. Not too hot. Make sure of that. You don't want to burn her."

Never. Carrying her from the room, John quickly headed to the bathroom where he promptly sat her on the ground.

"No." She made that odd noise again, the one Cortana said meant up. "No."

John just ignored her as he moved to run the tap in the tub. Miranda found resolve, instead toddling over to the side of the tub and looking in. When Chief looked down at her, she pointed in there, babbling something incoherent, probably trying to tell him something.

"That's right, baby," he heard Cortana coo as she came into the bathroom as well. "You're gonna take a bath, huh? You want Daddy to give you one?"

"Cortana," he warned, though he wasn't sure if it was for suggesting that he should bathe her or calling him by that name again. "I don't-"

"Wa!" The baby suddenly lifted her arms above her head. Chief feared she wanted him to pick her up again, but Cortana as always knew what the sign was for.

"Here you go," the girl's mother said as she got down on her knees to undress her. "You know what's next, huh? You wanted your shirt off. Daddy's not smart enough to get that."

Making a face, Chief headed out of the bathroom. He'd drawn the bath; his job was done.

"No," Miranda called after him as her mother finished undressing her. Pointing at her father, she babbled something else that Chief didn't understand.

"I'm not leaving," he told no one as he turned in the doorway, instead leaning against the doorjamb. He figured that was what was wrong. "Just standing back here's all."

Content, the baby focused her attention back on her bath. Chief had assumed she'd dislike taking a bath, as he thought most young children did, but Miranda seemed intrigued by it.

"What's wrong?" he asked ten minutes later when the baby started crying. She was in the tub at that point and had been happily mewling as her mother bathed her. Then she just started crying. "Is she okay?"

"She just got some soap in her eyes, Chief," Cortana said with what he assumed came with an eye roll. "Every cry isn't a call to action."

He crossed his arms, frowning deeply. "If you didn't get soap in her eyes, she wouldn't be crying."

"Do you want to do this, John? You can bathe her if it's that big of a deal."

He just grunted, still watching. His baby was still whining, no longer finding bath time fun. It wasn't until she was out and wrapped up in a towel that she was happy again.

"You know, Chief, that she's sleeping in her crib," Cortana told him when they finally made it to the little girl's bedroom. "Not with us."

"I never said she wasn't."

"I saw you took a nap this afternoon."

"You could say that."

"What did I tell you about sleeping in bed with her?"

"She was fine, was she not? She's safer with me anyways than she is alone." He moved to take the baby from his wife. "It's obvious."

"Is that what it is?"

"Yes." He frowned when the baby rubbed her nose against his shoulder again. "Does she have a cold or something?"

"No."

"I don't think she's supposed to be this…nasty."

"Oh, Chief."

"Aba. Hi." Miranda wrapped an arm around his neck. "No."

"Put her down now," Cortana said, nodding at the crib. "Let her sleep."

"Shouldn't we…read her a story first?" He sat her down in the crib before going over to the pile of books. "Or you should."

"No, no. It's your thing. Read to her."

"I don't…Cortana…"

"Then she goes to bed." Moving over to her daughter, the woman pressed a gently kiss against the baby's cheek. "Lay down now. You're gonna go to bed, huh?"

"No!" She reached her little hand out towards Master Chief. "Me!"

"You," he mumbled, setting the book back down before going over to her. Once he was close enough, he laid a hand on her head, stroking her hair slightly. "You have to stay. Goodnight."

When he turned to walk away though, she started to cry. He was quickly back to her, lifting the child into his arms.

"Chief-"

"She's upset, Cortana."

"She has to learn to sleep in her own room. And she had been. Before you."

"She'll sleep in her room," he assured her. "Just after I get to her to sleep."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Just hold her some. Worked this afternoon."

"Chief-"

"It's not like she has some kind of packed schedule. If she stays up a little, who cares? It's my second day home. I'm just getting to know her, really. And she's just getting to know me too."

"I know. There's time for that later. She needs her sleep, John. So put her down and let's just-"

"I'm her parent too," he said, heading out of the room now, his baby in his arms. "You've been doing it on your own for awhile, Cortana, but I'm here now. I'm back."

And he wasn't going away anytime soon.


	3. Chapter 3

The Return

Chapter 3

He worried about her the whole day. He had left that morning, way before she awoke, to take care of things. Cortana told him it was alright, as she was free that day anyways. Still, it bothered the Chief, leaving his daughter alone. What if she forgot about him? Sure, it was just work and he'd be back, but he was still worried.

His fears increased later that day when he finally made it back home only to find Cortana and Miranda gone. Where could they have to go? Cortana told him she was off that day. So what else could get her to leave the house?

Needless to say, he was high-strung by the time they got back. He was on the couch in the living room, watching the apartment door, awaiting their return. Maybe this is how Cortana felt for that whole year, waiting, uncertain. If so, he felt horrible.

"Hey, Chief," Cortana rang out as she came into the apartment, grocery bags in her arms. He frowned, looking for his daughter, only to find her walking in behind her mother. She was carrying a bag too, but it was too heavy for her and she was struggling.

"Where were you guys?" Master Chief quickly rose, going to grab his daughter. She dropped the grocery bag in surprise, but he wasn't too concerned. It looked like it was just vegetables in there. "I got home and-"

"We went to the store, John," Cortana told him, not looking back once as she headed into the kitchen. "Pick up the things she dropped."

Ignoring that command, he followed her. "I would like some warning."

"I didn't know she'd drop it. She was the one that wanted to carry something."

"No, Cortana. I meant about you leaving the house. What if something happened?"

"Chief-"

"Hi," the baby told him randomly, kissing his cheek. "Hi."

"What if I needed to get to you guys? Huh? What if-"

"She just told you hi, John. She wants you to acknowledge her."

He was already holding her. How much more acknowledgement does she need? "We're talking, Cortana."

"Would you just calm down?" She was going around the kitchen now, putting things away. "And go pick up those things she dropped, huh? Then it's snack time."

"She eats lunch and a snack?"

"Not when she's with you, no. Then she just eats bread for a meal and is fine for the day."

He gave her a look. "That was an oversight that won't happen again."

"Me!" The baby hit his hand then, tired of being ignored. When he finally looked at her, she smiled. "Hi."

Sighing, he sat her down on the ground before heading back into the living room to get the groceries. Of course the baby followed him.

"Aba."

"What does that word mean, Cortana?" he called back to her. "She says it a lot."

"I don't know. She just makes noises sometimes."

"Where are you going, Miranda?" He had picked up the fallen bag now and was headed back into the kitchen. She wasn't though. "Come here."

"She's probably going to her room," Cortana told him as he sat the bag down on the kitchen table. "Go with her."

He found her where her mother said he would, sitting on her bedroom floor with some of her stuffed animals. Miranda didn't look up at the Master Chief though as he came into the room, instead focusing on her play.

"You don't walk away from me," he told her as he came to stand in front of her. "That's bad."

"Hi." She smiled up at him. "Yes!"

He smiled slightly, staring down at her. "Yes."

"Yes!" Then, picking up one of her stuffed dogs, she held it out to him, babbling something.

"You want me to take this?" He did so, holding the stuffed Labrador in his hands. "I hope it is not with the expectation that I will play with you, because I won't."

"Aba."

"What does that even mean?"

She just went back to her other toys, ignoring him from that point on. Still, Chief stood there, watching over her. It was a mundane task, but he'd take mundane over what he had spent the last year doing. For now anyways. He was sure bloodlust would get the better of him eventually, but now that he was finally back with his daughter he wouldn't rather be anywhere else.

"Aba," she told him as she stood up, walking out of the room ten minutes later. Chief followed her, though he was about tired of her unwillingness to stay in one place. Is this what children were? Constantly on the move? He sure hoped not.

"Your safety blanket?" was the first thing out of Cortana's mouth when she saw the Chief. He frowned before realizing she meant the stuffed dog in his hands.

"Ha ha."

"Me." Miranda wasn't interested in their talk, instead pointing at the plate Cortana had in her hands. "Me."

"Here you go." She gave the girl the plate, smiling slightly. "Can you go sit down in the living room?"

Chief frowned, his eyes trailing behind the girl. Cortana finally dismissed him, telling him that he could go in there as well, to watch over her if he liked.

"What are you eating?" Chief found his daughter on the floor, her plate in front of her.

"Baba."

It was some chopped up fruit. Chief made a face as the baby ate some more. The child didn't close her mouth when she ate, allowing him to see everything. It disgusted him.

"Aba?" She held up a piece of the fruit now to him, as an offering.

"I'm not hungry," Chief tried.

"Aba!"

"Alright, fine." He held out a hand, allowing her to place the food in his palm. He hadn't planned to eat it, but she kept watching him, waiting until he did to look away. Then she just went back to eating like nothing happened.

When she was finished eating, the baby just handed him the plate, apparently expecting him to put it back in the kitchen. Chief just let out a slightly breath before going to do so.

"You were the one that was so worried about where she was," Cortana pointed out to him ten minutes later when they were all in the living room and their daughter began to sing loudly. She wasn't really singing more of just making loud noises. Annoying noises.

Chief just sat there on the couch next to his former AI, staring at the young girl. "How do you…make her stop?"

"She's just playing, Chief."

"That's horribly annoying."

"It is, isn't it…Daddy?"

"Cortana," he sighed as his daughter stood up from the floor, heading over to them. Clearing his throat, he said, "I have things I must attend to tomorrow."

"Such as?"

He didn't answer, instead lifting his daughter into his lap when she came to him. Cortana wasn't so easily distracted however.

"Chief-"

"I'm a Spartan, Cortana."

She just stared at him before glancing down at their daughter. "So…you think that you might…be leaving again? Some time soon?"

"It's what I hope for."

"John-"

"It's nice, being home," he told her. "But I don't do home well. You know that."

"You want to leave already?"

"No," he told her, shaking his head. "I know though that I will eventually. I don't…stay places. You know that. When you first found out that you were pregnant, I told you that it wouldn't affect my work. Protecting the human race will always be important to me." Reaching down he cupped his daughter's cheek making the baby look up at him and laugh. "How could it not? Especially when she's one of those humans."

"Aba!" The baby reached out, patting his chest. "Hi."

"I don't wish to be gone long, Cortana. Ever." He let himself smile for once, not even fighting it. So long as it was for his daughter, he was okay with doing it. "But what would I do here? Retired?"

"You're getting older, John."

He just grunted, still staring down at his daughter. "Not that old."

"Would you rather go out while you're still at that top of your game? Instead of some old man that they have to tell they no longer need?"

"I'll die on the battle field long before that happens." He smiled over at her. "My luck and all."

Leaning against his arm, she let out a long sigh. "Yeah. Your luck."

"Dow'," the baby complained, pushing away from the Master Chief before jumping from his lap. Giggling, she patted Chief's leg before toddling back over to her toys. He just sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"It was what I was made to do. Protect. Serve."

"Hn."

"Cortana-"

"I have things to do. Can you watch her? I'll just be in the bedroom."

Giving a slight nod of the head, John watched as the woman stood before leaving the room. Chief turned his attention back to his daughter, watching her as vigilantly as ever. Cortana just didn't get it. Chief wanted to be with Miranda, always, to keep her safe. By the same token, he couldn't stand the thought of someone else handling the safety of humans. Because if they weren't safe, Miranda wasn't safe.

Period.

* * *

Her cries startled Master Chief to attention. He had relaxed some, lazily staring at the little girl. His mistake.

Standing, Chief quickly made his way over to his daughter. She had just been sitting there, playing with her little blocks. What could have gone wrong?

"Oh." He lifted her into her arms. "You got a cut."

She was bleeding from her finger. She had probably sliced it on some toy or something. Her flesh was so delicate…to him at least.

"Aba," she whined, leaning against him while wailing. "Mama!"

"Don't call her," he said, bouncing the child uneasily. "I am here."

And? The baby just continued to cry, the pain in her finger horrible. Chief wanted to laugh, finding humor in the fact such a tiny cut could make his child cry. Did she not know what he went through every day? Still, she would learn about pain eventually. And he didn't really like the idea of her feeling so crummy anyways.

"What's wrong?"

Chief was in the bathroom at that point, his baby in his arms. "She cut herself. I need-"

"What? How?"

He handed the baby off to her mother when the woman moved to take her. "I think on one of her little toys or something."

Cortana pressed a kiss to the baby's head before moving to open the medicine cabinet in there. "Here's the Band-Aids. This si what you need, huh, baby?"

Frowning, Chief stared at the bandages. They were for little girls, pink and covered in hearts. The baby calmed down some after her mother wrapped the bandage around her finger.

"Mama!" She held her finger up to her mom, whining still.

"Kiss to make it better?" Cortana did as prompted, pressing her lips to the Band-Aid. Content, the baby finally stopped her whining. Then Cortana handed the box of bandages to the little girl. "You ready?"

"Ready for what?" Chief asked.

"We have to go put Band-Aids on some of her stuffed animals now," she explained as she headed out of the bathroom and to the little girl's room. "They're hurt too."

Chief thought that this was slightly excessive given that the child was already so calm, but figured it wasn't his place to question it. "Well, I'm going to take a shower then, huh? Wash up some?"

"You do stink."

"Cortana-"

She just closed the bedroom door behind her. Chief sighed before closing the bathroom door as well and turning to face his shower. The days seemed to drag by here, spending time with his…family. Everything felt slowed. He felt like a sloth here, as if he was accomplishing nothing. How did people live like this? So….so…useless.

Once he finished his shower, John went to check on his daughter again. He could hear her and Cortana's voices coming from the bedroom, his wife talking while his daughter was giggling loudly. Not really wanting to be faced with that, but not really knowing what else to do with his time, he headed into the room.

"Aba!"

Miranda was sitting on the floor with her mother, still placing Band-Aids on her toys. Cortana smiled up at him, but he just took a seat on the floor next to them, watching with a bored expression.

"Hi," Miranda greeted him, crawling over to get in his lap.

Chief made a face, but it just made the girl laugh. When she noticed that her father was no longer wearing a shirt, but rather just his jeans, she decided to inspect his chest. Though he had aged, Chief's body did not. He still took immaculate care of himself, never wanting anyone to have a reason to think he was no longer fit to be a Spartan.

"Wet," the baby said, patting his chest. He had hardly toweled off, too concerned to getting back to his child. "Brrr?"

Chief just watched her, not speaking. Then the baby took notice of all of his scars. There were numerous ones. He was not invincible, after all.

"Aba?" She looked up at him before rattling the box of Band-Aids she had. "Aba."

Chief just sat there, watching her. Then she had to go and try to put one of those damn pink bandages on him.

"No," Chief said, but she just ignored him. Cortana smiled brightly at this, finding it amusing. "No, Miranda. Cortana-"

"She's just trying to fix you. We put Band-Aids on boo-boos."

"I'm not injured. They're all healed."

"She doesn't know that."

"Aba." She moved to get another bandage. He had so many owies. How would she ever manage to cover them all? Huh? This was impossible. Why didn't this guy put on his own bandages? Did he not have a mommy to buy them for him? Well, he couldn't have her mommy!

She pressed a kiss to the two bandages, as Cortana had done with her cut. Then she moved to get another Band-Aid out. She still had so much work to do.

"Miranda," he finally said, moving to pick her up. Setting her down on the ground, he patted her on the head. "I'm not a girl, huh? I'm a man. I don't need these."

"Aba?"

"No."

Her face screwed up as her eyes started to well again.

"Chief, you hurt her feelings."

"I didn't do anything."

"Just let her take care of you," Cortana said. "It won't hurt anything."

"I can't have these stupid…bandages on my chest, can I?"

"What? Are you afraid someone will see them? Who? If you're not in your armor, you're in your clothes. Who else are you taking your shirt off for?"

"Cortana-"

"Just let her play for right now. Then you can take them off." She smiled at him. "You should be happy that she wants to take care of you. It means that she loves you."

He stared at his wife for a second before looking back at his daughter. "Alright, but this crying business has got to end."

Cortana only smiled, shaking her head. "Okay, Daddy."

He didn't fight her this time, not feeling like arguing with her. Instead he just lifted his daughter into his lap, smiling at her to let her know that it was okay.

"Aba?" She rattled the box. He nodded slightly, watching as she moved to bandage him again. "Hi."

He just stroked her back gently, watching his daughter put Band-Aids on him. "Hi."

* * *

"What's this, Chief?"

He glanced the side, hardly even noticing the woman walking next to him. He was back on base again, today focusing on getting reassigned. The sooner the better. Still, it felt odd to him, being around so many soldiers, but not in his armor. He thought it suited him much better, his armor did, than just normal clothes.

"Is that…a Band-Aid?" The woman next to him snickered slightly. She was supposed to be leading him to the office of a higher ranking official, not mocking him.

Frowning, Chief looked down at his right arm, having forgotten that the night before he had let Miranda given him a Band-Aid there too. She had whined about how his other scars didn't have anything protecting them and he had let her put just one on his forearm, planning on taking it off the next morning. He had with all the ones on his chest, but had forgotten that one.

"Yes," he said, looking away.

"Are you…hurt?"

"My daughter…" He shook his head. He didn't have to explain himself to anyone. Well, sometimes Cortana, but that came with the territory. "No. I am not hurt."

If Chief was a blushing type person that would have qualified for it. Instead he just stared straight ahead, planning on scolding his daughter later. Halfheartedly of course. Would Miranda ever need to be punished? Sure. Just not by him. Cortana could handle that. Scolding was what she was best at. He knew that first hand.


End file.
